Eddie Jordan linked with shock team purchase after Adrian Newey to Aston Martin masterstroke

Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan is interested in purchasing iconic rugby union club London Irish, it has been claimed.

It comes just months after the 76-year-old played an instrumental role in Adrian Newey’s sensational move from Red Bull to Aston Martin for the F1 2025 season.

Eddie Jordan to turn to rugby after Adrian Newey deal sealed?

Jordan has not been directly involved in F1 since selling his eponymous team – now competing under the banner of Aston Martin – in 2005, working as a television pundit for the likes of the BBC and Channel 4 in subsequent years.

However, the Irishman emerged as a key player in F1 design legend Newey’s departure from Red Bull earlier this year and his subsequent move to Aston Martin for 2025.

Acting as Newey’s manager, Jordan negotiated the terms of the 65-year-old’s exit from Red Bull – announced back in May – which will crucially see the tech guru sidestep the period of gardening leave commonplace in F1 staff contracts to start work with his new employers from next year.

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That will allow Newey to play a pivotal role in Aston Martin’s preparations for F1’s new technical regulations scheduled for 2026, potentially giving the Silverstone-based outfit a major advantage.

With Newey set to officially exit Red Bull in March before taking up his new role as managing technical partner at Aston Martin, Jordan has reportedly turned his attention to the world of rugby union.

A report by The Times has claimed that Jordan is a member of a consortium, including former international players Bobby Skinstad and Andrew Mehrtens, closing in on a deal to buy French club AS Béziers Hérault.

The consortium is reportedly backed by Northern Ireland-based private equity firm Strangford Capital, for whom Jordan acts as an investor and adviser.

It is claimed that Jordan could persuade Michael Flatley, the American dancer best known for his creation of Riverdance, to become an investor as he plots to buy London Irish, the Brentford-based club who have been in administration since June 2023 and found themselves suspended from the Premiership, the top tier of English professional rugby.

Jordan is said to be keen on building a portfolio of rugby clubs, mirroring the model pioneered by the Abu Dhabi-owned City Football Group, which has reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, as well as the likes of Melbourne City, New York City and Spanish side Girona, on its books.

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